While many of us may have a healthy relationship with food, including eating healthy foods such as groundnuts there is an ugly side of eating issues that we don’t talk about. That is eating disorders.
We’ll go over what eating disorders are, and some of the sad truths about eating disorders that should be discussed more, and what you can do to help if you come across someone with an eating disorder.
It isn’t Just Starving Yourself
Disordered eating isn’t just anorexia.
Nor is it just bulimia or binging and purging. ED is a spectrum, and it does have a variety of different characteristics.
The focal point of this is that they’re all disordered types of eating. This can involve eating certain foods or even having a disorder that goes beyond just being picky. Most of the time it may be just binging and purging, or not eating, but also may be eating too much, or even emotional eating too.
It’s not just throwing up in the bathroom, it’s many things.
It isn’t just a Body Image Thing
Usually, people assume this is just because of body image, but that isn’t the case.
While yes, having a poor body image can lead to eating disorders, it’s also caused by other conditions too.
OCD, depression, anxiety, and other disorders may also cause eating disorders to form. Sometimes, people get so anxious about eating that they may binge and purge, or maybe they become obsessive over how they eat.
In some cases, this could be a coping mechanism for other issues too. Oftentimes, it isn’t just extreme weight loss either, but it could be a diagnosable disorder, which means that it can be treated. In some cases, by treating the underlying issue, you can fix the problem.
It isn’t just for Young People
Most people think that ED is just for younger people, especially teenagers.
But that isn’t the case. Nor is it limited to a specific racial demographic either.
Older people, especially those over 50, may develop this, and it may stem from feeling unhappy with how they are. While they’re usually associated with younger women or teenage girls, it’s actually a disorder that can impact all ages, especially those who have had underlying mental health conditions that aren’t treated.
It’s Not Gender-Specific Either
Another misconception is that men can’t have eating disorders.
But that’s not the case.
Men can develop bulimia and anorexia, especially if there is depression or anxiety underlying it. If a man has struggled with depression to the point where he doesn’t want to eat, this can become an eating disorder.
This is unfortunately a common misconception simply because vanity is something that a lot of us struggle with too.
They Are Lifelong If Not Handled
These can be lifelong problems in many cases, especially if you don’t get the help you need for this.
Some people report that it even consumes years of your life. Due to the anxieties that surround this, a lot of people will spend their time trying to reach a certain size, or cope with a certain issue, which inevitably is never ultimately handled.
An eating disorder doesn’t go away in a lot of cases until proper treatment is done, especially if the conditions are severe enough that people use the ED to help cope with the trauma that’s underneath this.
Get Help for Your ED
What can you do about it?
Well, the best thing for you to do is to get help if you know you’ve got an eating disorder.
But where should you begin?
The best place to start is to go to Mind Diagnostics to help you learn more about this condition, and what you can do to fix the problems at hand. You can get the help that you need here as well.
Eating disorders are a lifelong problem if left untreated, and can lead to dire consequences, even death in some cases if you’re not careful. It’s important to understand this isn’t just not eating, but a much bigger problem that needs to be handled when spotted.
